Non-human primate and rodent models of drug self-administration by inhalation mimic the human behavior of solvent abuse. Models of this nature can provide: 1) assessment of the abuse potential of a wide variety of organic solvents and volatile anesthetics; 2) a technique for setting exposure limit values in industrial situations which will prevent the development of such patterns of substance abuse; and 3) a way to determine whether these substances will effectively maintain drug-seeking behavior in strength comparable to other drugs of abuse, e.g., cocaine. The initial aversiveness of solvents may play an important role in determining the abuse potential of inhalants; solvent escape preparations can describe the inherent aversiveness of solvents, and of unpleasant materials added to consumer products to deter deliberate inhalation. Inhaled materials also have important behavioral toxicity that can be described and characterized with schedule-controlled performance. Knowledge of these performance effects and how they relate to solvent self-administration will help us to understand this substance abuse practice.